Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease inflicts over 59 million Americans and contributes to approximately sixty percent of all deaths recorded each year. This deadly disease attacks both men and women, equaling the next seven leading causes of death combined for men and causing one out of every two deaths in women. Treatment options for cardiovascular disease are continuing to expand. However, patients are often diagnosed too late to be treated effectively or without invasive measures. Accordingly, early diagnosis and early treatment are vital to ensure successful outcomes.
To date, tools for obtaining such an early diagnosis have been difficult to access. Typically, devices for measuring blood flows through arteries and veins (which are necessary for diagnosing cardiovascular disease) are large and expensive. Further, interpretation of the results of such testing require the doctor performing such tests to have special skills. As a result, such testing is usually performed only in vascular laboratories in large hospitals. Here, the cost of having equipment and the necessary doctor expertise can be justified through the volume of patients using such equipment. Yet a patient may not go to a hospital until the cardiovascular disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Accordingly, it is desirable to perform such tests on a more routine basis.